Campus Messages

The recent and ongoing natural disasters in the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico have caused great loss of life and sorrow. In the last two days, Hurricane Maria has brought an onslaught of destruction to the Caribbean island of Dominica and the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In addition, Mexico experienced a major 7.1 magnitude earthquake yesterday that collapsed many buildings including hundreds of schools. This was the second significant quake in Mexico within a two-week time span, and UC President Janet Napolitano has expressed her support and solidarity.

Without time to recover from the initial hits, the citizens of these diverse areas are confronted with an emotional, physical, and economic toll of epic proportion. Our hearts and thoughts are with them.

The UCSF Global Disaster Assistance Committee (GDAC) is closely monitoring these situations and stands ready in the event that assistance is requested. At this time, UCSF has not received a request to provide relief assistance. Please visit the GDAC web page for updates about how you can help.

For those of us with family and friends in the affected locations, it is extremely difficult to be far away. Please know that UCSF has professional counseling services available through the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program and Student...

We are extremely disappointed by President Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, thereby denying an estimated 800,000 young people – including students at UCSF – temporary reprieve to work and study legally in the United States without fear of deportation.

In a statement released today, University of California (UC) President Janet Napolitano said she is deeply troubled by the decision and called upon Congress to immediately pass bipartisan legislation to “provide a permanent solution for these young people.” She stressed that UC will continue to provide support services to undocumented students and is immediately directing her advisory committee on undocumented students “to determine how best to support and protect University of California students who rely on DACA over the next six months and beyond.” International Students and Scholars Office Director Brian Groves and Jirayut “New” Latthivongskorn, MD Candidate, Class of 2018 and returning member on this council (and also the first Dreamer in the School of Medicine), are the UCSF representatives on this committee. You can read UC President Napolitano’s statement online.

UCSF began enrolling Dreamers across all four professional schools and the Graduate Division three years ago and fully supports UC President Napolitano’s continued leadership in support of DACA students. I share her belief...